>> May 9, 2014

In today’s recovering economy, it
pays to be a little thrifty when it comes to home improvement. Everyone wants
to maintain a beautiful home that is always ahead of the trends, but in most
circumstances that means having an impressive budget to match. However,
unbeknown to many, upcycling could just provide the answer to transforming your
home from drab to fab…

What is upcycling?

Upcycling
is when individuals repurpose used, damaged or tired furniture for use elsewhere
in their homes. The opportunity to upcycle trash into treasure is not a new
concept, in fact craft enthusiasts have been doing this for years. However,
with the rising trend more and more resources are available to find furniture
in need of home upcycling and gather ideas from fellow upcyclers!

Image:upcycling.gr

Where to begin

Many
householders don’t have old and disused furnishings hanging around the home, so
hitting salvage yards, skips, antique stores and charity shops is the first
step to finding the best materials for upcycling. Salvage yards in particular
can be a treasure trove of furniture finds and other hidden gems, the style of
which you wouldn’t necessarily find in the polished stores lining our high
streets. Salvage yards and charity shops are also the perfect place to bag a
bargain!

Vintage
and antique drawers are the ultimate find for any upcycler, and these can be
transformed into renovated furnishings with a quick lick of paint or further
repair and restoration. Look for items with a history and bring them back to
life with your newfound upcycling skills.

Upcycling techniques

Once you
have found your preloved furnishings, learning a few simple upcycling
techniques is the next step to transforming your home on a shoestring budget.
Retuning your DIY skills is a must when it comes to upcycling, whilst learning
painting and finishing techniques can give you the skills to quickly transform
tired looking items.

Chalk
paints are the upcycler’s favourite product, and after smoothing the surface,
these can easily be applied to transform the look of old furniture. Chalk
paints can also be used on stained or veneered furniture, so you can create a
great look without spending hours removing paint. Waxing and buffing techniques
can also be used to create the popular distressed look. Stencilling and
experimenting with paint effects can also add a creative touch to your home.

Something for the weekend…

Why not
get started with this upcycling project? Transform old and disused wooden
ladders into a bookshelf or towel rack to create a new
focal point for your bathroom or living room. The wood can be treated using an
array of effects, depending on the look you desire, or can be stripped and
waxed to create a more natural finish.

The author of this post is Brittany
Thorley from Cheshire Demolition, the UK’s leading
salvage and skip hire specialists.

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Welcome to my blog. I'm a home maker, a stay at home wife. I'm just an ordinary woman who has interest in reading, working at home and learning to write. We live in Bogor, Indonesia.This blog contains articles in family topic. Contact me at linalg4@gmail.com